Dromdyr - The Origin Story

They came from a Dream world called Drom, where they lived and played and made merry. But one nightmare about a snowstorm that lasted forever and they were running out of food, and fast. Someone had to do something, so the King of all Drom called a meeting for the fastest and the bravest Dromdyr in all the land.

They came from near and they came from far, Biggest and Toughest Dragon, The Most Magical of Unicorns, and the Swiftest of Eagles all came to answer the call. But when the king put forth the task of leaving Drom to find a new home they shirked, afraid of the thought of leaving the only land they had ever known.

But in the silence one small voice emerged from the crowd, and all looked around to find the speaker.

They looked at the Biggest and Toughest of Dragons, and he too was looking for the voice.

They looked to the Most Magical of Unicorns and she was shuffling her hooves nervously.

They looked to the Swiftest of Eagles but he was preening his feathers.

Finally the speaker stepped forward, and it was little Hjerte, a small white cat. “I may not be the biggest or the toughest. I may not be the swiftest or the most magical. But I am the Bravest, and the most determined. I have the most Heart, and I will make this Journey.”

And so the King bequeathed to Hjerte a cloak bearing the royal emblem and a sealed letter to give to the ruler of the lands beyond. They gathered at the docks to wish Hjerte farewell as she boarded a longship and set sail into the night. There were many days and many nights Hjerte sailed on, but right as she was beginning to lose hope of reaching her destination, she saw land cresting on the horizon.

“I made it, I made it!” She cried as she danced along the deck of the ship.

As she pulled up to shore she felt her nerves trying to best her but she took a deep breath, pulled her cloak tight and stepped down onto the beach. She climbed the ricks, looking for life in this strange sharp land. As she climbed she saw the parapets of a tower peering through the rocks, and took heart, dashing for the stone collumn.

As she approached it a voice came down to her, “Ho There! State your name and your purpose!”

She shrank back at the harshness of the tone, no one spoke like -that- in Drom!

“My Name is Hjerte, and I am from the land of Drom!” she called back.

“There is no such land, who sent you?” She gasped at the assertion, no such land? There is so such a land!

“You doubt the existance of Drom? Come down here and I shall explain my plight to your face, I won't have this shouted for all to hear!”

“There is no one here but me, I guard this tower by the beach myself to warn of invaders by sea! But I will come down, for I want to see the one who calls to me so.” and with that the voice vanished.

And Hjerte waited. She waited as footsteps rang down the tower's winding stairs. She waited and waited, how high up was that tower?

And as the speaker finally reached the door at the base of the tower Hjerte took a deep breath and braced herself for whatever was to come out the door.

But to her surprise it was only a cat, just as herself, but an orange tabby, wearing a strange horned hat.

“Please sir, where is it I have ended up? I have never seen a hat such as that before.”

“You have landed in Norway, land of the vikings! And I am Himmel.” Said the tabby proudly.

Hjerte and Himmel sat and talked long into the night, and long past the sunrise.As the sun set a second time They emerged from the tower, and Hjerte boarded her ship back to Drom. She sailed for days, but she did not lose hope for she knew she was headed home.

She reached the dock and strode up the the castle doors, and into the king's audience chamber.

“I have found the solution! We are to starve no more!”

The king looked in shock at Hjerte, and listened raptly as she told of her tale.

“So, Himmel promised that if we send out ships once a month he will have a shipment of food for us, and any Dromdyr who want to go over on the boat and reside there are entirely welcome to. In return, We must build up a city past the tower where Himmel keeps watch, and keep it run safe and clean, so Himmel will no longer be stranded up at the tower himself.”

The king paused for a very long moment, Hjerte worried she had done something wrong.

But when he finally spoke he asked her “When do we send out our first ship?”

Hjerte smiled. “Within the week!”

The King nodded and called his assistant over, and began speaking low and rapidly. Firing off instructions for everything to be done before the ship leaves for Norway and the beach of Stein.

At last the ship was ready, and Hjerte was to go with and be the connection between the Dromdyr and Himmel. They sailed for many long days and nights, on a boat crammed full of building materials and Dromdyr loking to build a new home.

As they sighted land Hjerte darted up the riggings and into the eagle's nest – looking through the looking glass for the sign from Himmel. When she saw the flashing of a shield in the sunlight she smiled and flashed a sign back.

From that day Hjerte split her time between Drom and Stein, manning the ship to and from once a month bearing Dromdyr and supplies each way. The king named her a lady of the court and called the passage from between the two the Hjertebro. They lived happily in that town for many years to come.